More fabrics eco-friendly
By Susan M. Andrews -- Furniture Today, June 11, 2007
High Point — Interest in green and sustainable fabrics was growing among fabric suppliers and their customers at Summer Showtime.
Several companies were ready with products touted as natural and/or environmentally friendly, including Adesal Jacquards, American Trim Mfg., American Silk, Bella-Dura at Wearbest, Chris Stone, Cone Jacquards, Craftex Mills, Lady Fabrics, Marlatex, Microfibres, Valdese Weavers and others.
"With all the interest in the global environment and everyone 'going green,' any fabric with an earth-friendly story will get interest," said Melony Hughes, director of upholstery merchandising at Kincaid Furniture.
Chris Stone had great reaction to its undyed Eco Collective group of cotton, linen and hemp fabrics.
"We were very pleased — surprised really — by how much response these fabrics got at Showtime," said President Mark Aizawa. A particular draw was a group called Eco Raw, featuring all natural fibers produced under strict ecological guidelines, and including seeds and fibers that added to its organic appeal. "We didn't use any bleach or enzymes — no chemicals of any kind — in the preparation," Aizawa said.
Cone Jacquards was "shocked by the level of interest" in its line of ecologically friendly jacquards made from recycled plastic beverage bottles, according to Scott George, vice president of sales and marketing.
"We did our homework on this to make sure there would be no supply chain issues. The number of plastic bottles continues to grow as more and more people get their water in bottles, as well as soft drinks," said Debbye Lustig, who handles merchandising for the Cone Jacquards line as well as Burlington Contract, both of which are part of International Textile Group.
Adesal Jacquards made a splash with new incarnations of its recycled truck tarps from Brazil as well as other materials including hemp and burlap.
American Silk Mills had news about Sensuede, the high-end suede fabric from Japan exclusively distributed by American Silk. The line is now made with 100% post-consumer, post-industrial recycled polyester and is certified for OekoTex and ISO 14001. The product also is made without using harmful organic solvents that the company says are used in the manufacture of other manmade suede fabrics.
Major suppliers like Quaker Fabric and Tietex Interiors, among others, have already made big investments in water treatment and scrubbers to make production more earth-friendly.
"We've had recycled product for two or three years and have had great success in the contract segment with that," said Tom Muzekari, vice president of sales and marketing at Quaker. "Now some of our major customers have asked for recycled product in the residential segment, so we're responding to that with our Replay recycled story.
"It costs more — it's not a premium — because it costs more to produce, but it's good because it provides a story beyond just price," he said.
"This shouldn't be just a buzzword," said Mike Durham, president of Tietex Interiors. "It's more important that claims of 'green' be legitimate than to be the first on the bandwagon.
"There's a ton of issues around this topic and it goes beyond being a good corporate citizen," he added. "You have to look further down the line and ask what does or doesn't make sense before you retool everything in your toolbox."
